Question NW13 to the Minister of Health
23 February 2024 - NW13
Singh, Mr N to ask the Minister of Health
(1)Whether he will furnish Mr N Singh with the total number of newly qualified medical doctors who cannot be placed in community service internships at public hospitals in the Republic as at 8 February 2023; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details; (2) given the current shortage of medical doctors in the Republic, what are the full, relevant details of the steps that his department is taking to ensure that all newly qualified medical doctors are fast-tracked into community service medical programmes so that they may serve the residents of the Republic?
Reply:
1. All medical doctors eligible for community service have been placed as of January 2024. This number excludes those who lodged appeals against the areas that they were placed at.
2. National Department of Health can confirm that all medical doctors that were eligible to commence community service started work on 01 January 2024. Only those who are deemed as not eligible or are late starters (i.e., completing their community service later than 31 December 2023) have not been placed. They will be placed upon completion of their community service.
END.